Hopefully, at Your Mercy - Chapter 36

Chapter 19.1

His grip on her shoulder was unyielding. His rough, forceful touch hurt, and Delinda tried to shake him off, but Iskan refused to release her.

His shadow fell over her face like a veil, his intense gaze almost predatory as if piercing through her.

“Your Highness, you’re hurting me.”

She tried to stay calm, but her voice shook with fear. Her struggle felt pointless against him.

This wasn’t the usual Iskan Anagrok she had come to know. She had rarely seen him like this. The prince she thought she understood was gone, replaced by a storm of raw emotion he could no longer hide.

“I wasn’t trying to die.”

“…”

“I was just admiring the garden and lost my balance. Thank you for catching me, but I wasn’t going to fall.”

“…”

“Could you let go now? I’ll stay away from the ledge, I promise.”

Delinda spoke calmly and carefully, as if handling a ticking bomb. Her voice was low and soothing, like trying to comfort a child on the verge of tears.

Only then did his iron grip loosen.

The moment he released her, Delinda stepped back quickly, brushing her fingers over her neck. A strange sensation spread from her heart, sending shivers through her body.

It felt like fear, an unmistakable sense of dread, yet somehow different from when she had stumbled upon the pool of blood in the alley.

For a moment, they stood locked in a silent standoff, the cold night wind drifting between them.

Delina focused on the way his hair swayed in the wind, almost like a painting, before finally looking away.

‘Fine. I’ll back down first. This is too disturbing…’

There was no making sense of his sudden behavior.

Killing people? Fine, let’s chalk that up to him being insane. But if he caught a noble lady who lost her balance, why not just leave it at that? Why glare at me like that? Why mutter “Never again” as if it were some kind of threat?

‘Maybe someone forced His Highness to witness a terrible decision before.’

If that were the case, she could understand. Painful memories left scars, and trauma had a way of resurfacing at unpredictable moments.

Iskan studied her with an inscrutable expression.

“You claim we’ve never met before, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Then tell me, Delinda Schultz. Are you truly Delinda Schultz?”

“…”

Her breath caught in her throat.

She forced her expression to stay steady. She couldn’t afford to react. Her gaze couldn’t waver. A chill washed over her, making it feel like she’d been doused in cold water, but she held firm.

“Yes. My name is indeed Delinda Schultz… Why do you ask something so obvious, Your Highness?”

She tilted her head, feigning innocence.

Iskan’s stare was unnerving, as if he could see into her soul, prying for answers. But there was no way she could admit the truth.

That she had been here before, possessed in this world once, and was still here, inhabiting another’s body and pretending to be them, with no plans to stop.

How could she possibly say something like that?

Especially when she didn’t even know if the man before her was friend or foe.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally looked away.

“I suppose… if you truly knew me, you wouldn’t pretend otherwise.”

“…”

“Certainly not. That would be impossible.”

His quiet voice sounded as if he were trying to convince himself. As if he couldn’t accept the idea that she might be pretending not to know him.

Delinda pressed her palm to her chest.

The sorrow in his eyes made her heart ache. She had never seen this vulnerable side of him. He always seemed so proud, so arrogant.

But suddenly, he looked like a child. One quietly gripping someone’s sleeve.

Not asking for love. Not begging for attention. Just simply holding on, as if that alone was enough.

Like a pitiful child who didn’t even know how to ask for affection, stuck waiting in silence, hoping.

Delinda needed to get away from this uncomfortable moment. Trying to make her exit, she awkwardly asked,

“I was just about to head down for dinner… would you like to join me?”

“I wasn’t invited.”

His voice was indifferent, and he gave a slight shake of his head. He preferred to avoid troublesome matters. Keeping his status hidden meant he wasn’t on the guest list.

Knowing this, Delinda offered a final goodbye.

“Then, I’ll be taking my leave. Have a lovely evening, Your Highness.”

She gave him a quick bow and hurried past him.